I walk up to the house door nervously, Brad didn't say anything on the phone, only that I need to come home. I couldn't help but expect the worst. Just as I step inside the door I'm met with Colten.
"Okay, don't freak out for what mom is about to tell you cause I already did." He explains still looking shocked from whatever news he has heard.
"Colten, what is it? I ask.
"Just come into the sitting room"
He walks in before me, I trail behind, I look to everyone here, Brad, Caitlin, mum and a man I have never seen in my life.
"Sky! Come sit down, I have something to tell you" Mum says gesturing to the couch opposite her. I slowly take a seat on it eyeing the man up and down, I can already see he is getting anxious by my stare as he loosens his collar a tad.
"So Sky, this is Tim, Tim this is my second oldest Skylar." Mum introduces us.
"Hello Skylar, I've heard a lot about you, don't worry all good things I promise" Tim tries to joke.
"Oh I know most of them are bad things already Tim" I shrug.
"Um well Sky, what I wanted to say is, Tim and I are engaged!" Mum smiles.
Um what. I look at her as if she is crazy.
I start to clap.
"Oh my God mum you almost got me there, good one, Jesus mum my heart" I laugh. Once I realise no one else is laughing I stop and look back at them.
"Mum, tell me you're not serious" I beg.
"I'm dead serious."
"Mum, what the fuck, who even is this guy!" I stand up and gesture to him.
"All those nights that I have been saying that I have either been working late or at a girls dinner, I have been meeting Tim, he's a mutual friend of Leah's. We got talking about half a year ago and haven't stopped since, and I don't know, it just happened" She explains smiling at this Tim guy.
I scoff at her answer.
"Mum if that was me you would tell me to grow up and cop on. That it wasn't happening."
"Skylar I'm forty-three, I'm wise enough now to know." She says getting frustrated.
"Brad! Will you talk some sense into her?" I say to Brad. Brad shrugs off the wall.
"I've been trying Sky, it ain't working, she's doing it."
"Jesus Christ, what the hell is wrong with the world, I don't even know Tim and now he's going to become my step-dad! Mum you didn't even bring him to meet us to see how we felt! You just threw this at us when you are already engaged!" I argue.
"Listen Skylar. Tim is staying for dinner, get to know him, I did this on my own because I felt it was the right thing to do, there was no worries about being judged! This is happening Skylar." She says then walks into the kitchen leaving Tim on the couch.
I sit back down and stare at him.
"What the fuck are you pulling here Tim?" I say in an intimidating way.
"I love your mum very much Skylar, I would never ever hurt her if that is what you're worried about" He reassures me.
"Oh no it's not that, you see, I'm sure myself and Brad wouldn't mind breaking a few bones if that happened would we Brad?" I chuff. Brad cracks his knuckled together.
"Nope none at all"
"I love her, she is the most remarkable woman I have ever laid eyes on, I can honestly see myself with her for the rest of our lives, I will protect her and care for her." He promises.
"I'm not okay with this Tim, just to put that out there" I say as I stand up and leave.
*
*
We all took a seat at the table for dinner. Mom at the top, Tim beside her, Colten beside him, Brad at the other end of the table, I sit across from Tim with Caitlin at my other side.
For the majority of the dinner the only noise was the clatter of cutlery hitting the plates, and my stare at Tim which eventually ended in mum kicking me under the table to stop, but I didn't. He needed to know this isn't an easy entrance into our family.
"Why don't you tell the kids about you Tim?" Mum says trying to lighten up the mood.
Tim coughs, "Uh sure"
"Uh I work as a professor at UHI, I have two kids, Dexter and Rebecca, and I'm forty-five." He finishes.
"Woah woah wait two kids?" Caitlin asks. Tim nods.
"That's not going to work out, that's six kids in total" She calculates.
"Yeah no more siblings, thanks but no thanks" Colten agrees.
"Well you're going to have to soften up because you're meeting them tomorrow." Mum states. I almost choke on my steak.
"What!" Brad booms.
"Calm it Brad!" Mum shouts.
"Mum you have to be joking! Tomorrow? We just met this loser tonight, you can't expect us to be ready to meet his kids tomorrow!" He challenges. I nod my head in agreement.
"We have to get this going Brad" Mum explains. "And he's not a loser"
"pft I beg to differ" I mumble.
"Look listen to me! All these years since your dad and I broke up, don't you think I deserve happiness? Don't you want me to be happy?" Mum asks.
"Of course we do mum" Colten says.
"Well I am happy, Tim makes me happy, I need your support on this"
"I need to think, I'll be back later I promise" Brad says getting up and grabbing his keys.
"He'll soften up" Mum smiles at Tim.
"This is too much for one night, I'm going to bed" Caitlin states abruptly, going upstairs.
"Yeah, I'm going to call Cassidy" Colten jogs upstairs.
"Sky, please, they listen to you, I need you to get them to be okay with this" Mum pleads. I look at Tim then into her eyes.
"I can't get them to do that, if I'm not even okay with it" Once again, I get up and leave.
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